


Rising Tensions

by reigningqueenofwords



Series: Into the Blue [6]
Category: Supernatural, The Walking Dead
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-05
Updated: 2020-05-05
Packaged: 2021-03-02 23:54:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,548
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24025420
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/reigningqueenofwords/pseuds/reigningqueenofwords
Relationships: past Daryl x Jo
Series: Into the Blue [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1413208





	Rising Tensions

It didn’t take Daryl too long to find a position as a mechanic, and the three of them went out to celebrate. Nothing more had been said about the kiss, but the pair of them skirted around the fact that they would flirt a lot. Dixon loved having Daryl around, and a routine easily came about.

Before they knew it, almost a month had passed. Dixon would be at Jo’s parents that Friday, and camping with Sam and Dean on Saturday. Daryl walked into the kitchen and smiled at the familiar sight of Dixon sat at the table waiting for his mom to bring his breakfast, Jo putting eggs onto a plate. She smiled at Daryl and he looked at her affectionately before bending and planting a kiss on top of Dixon’s head.

“Hey, ya got any plans this weekend?” He sat in the seat next to Dixon and poured some juice into a clean and empty glass already on the table.

Jo glanced at him and shook her head. “My mom is picking him up from school on Friday, and I’m off that night. He won’t be home until sometime Sunday. Why, what’s up?” She asked. Daryl looked from Dixon to her and smiled, he looked excited but tried to keep it from his face.

“I was, erm, thinkin’…That is if you don’t have any plans..That I could make you dinner…A way of sayin’ thank you for everything.”

Jo smiled, her tone teasing and flirtatious. “You can cook? What eggs and bacon?” Daryl stood and walked around the table, smiling at her and shaking his head.

“Oh, don’t tease me girl…I’ll have ya know my bacon egg surprise always used to go down a treat…So can I?” He moved closer to her, the tension between them tangible.

Jo smiles and licks her lips. “I don’t know… _Can_ you?”

He laughed and walked away, grabbing his helmet from the side. “I’ll take that as a yes”

Before he left the kitchen Jo can’t help herself. “Hey, Daryl?” He turns back round and looks at her, leaning one arm against the frame of the door.

“What?”

She smiled. “What’s the surprise?” All he did was smile and walk away chuckling.

* * *

Daryl started noticing at work how the others seem to keep a cool attitude towards him. At first, he had assumed it was because he was new. As time had gone on, it didn’t get any better.

He had finally found out that one of the other guys had dated Jo until she was 18. 2 years he had spent with her- and she wouldn’t sleep with him until after a year and a half. Here Daryl was… A one night stand, and her son’s father. Plus, they were all buddies with Dean. It made work a bit stressful. Friday Jo surprised him with lunch at work, before grocery shopping to see if he wanted anything. She had opted for a knee length sundress and flats to run errands that day.

Walking in, she waved at the guy up front. “Hey, Chase. Daryl busy?” Chase’s eyes worked down her body, and he nodded his head.

“Yeah, he is.” Jo frowned slightly. Chase wasn’t usually so brusque with her, he carried on writing something in a dusty book on the front desk.

“Chase? Can I see him, please?” He looked at her again before putting his pen down and turning in his seat.

“Hey, jackass…Jo’s here.” Daryl walked from behind a car, squinting slightly and wiping grease and oil onto a rag he was carrying. The breath halted in his throat as he saw her stood there, she looked beautiful. He felt the corners of his mouth pull up into a smile as he walked past Chase.

“Don’t be taking all day…I ain’t payin’ you to talk with your girlfriend.” He scowled at Daryl before walking to the back and joining the other guys who’d put their tools down and were stood watching Daryl and Jo. Hatred and distaste etched onto their expressions. Daryl could feel their eyes burning into his back and tried to ignore it.

Jo handed him the plastic bag. “I thought you’d like something different for lunch today.” She smiled. “And I’m gonna be doing some grocery shopping. You need anything? Besides _soap_?” Jo teased.

Daryl chuckled. “Nah, I’m good. Thank you for this, though.” His eyes never left hers.

“You’re welcome. Hey, could you tell Chase I need to see him?” Jo asked him gently.

His smile faltered slightly. “Uh, sure.”

She kissed his cheek quickly. “Thanks.”

* * *

Chase came out looking like the Cheshire cat. “Can I help you?”

“I seemed to have left my phone at home. Can I make a call?”

“Of course.” He handed her the cordless phone.

Jo smiled before quickly dialing. Her eyes were on Chase as she listened to the phone ring. “Hi, Dean!” She grinned. “You’re friends with Chase and the guys at the garage, right? Good. You won’t have many friends left if they don’t stop treating your nephew’s father like shit and looking at me like I’m naked… Just a fair warning. You _may_ want new friends.”

Jo hung up the phone before Dean could come up with some smartass comeback. Chuck swallowed and looked her, trying to stammer out an excuse.

“I er…I wasn’t!” Jo raised her hand up instantly silencing him.

“Save it…I ain’t interested.” She turned on heel walked away, Daryl setting down the bag as the rest of the guys looked on.

* * *

For some reason Jo felt a knot of excitement building inside her stomach as the day wore on, things with her and Daryl were going great. He’d built up a great relationship with Dixon, and the pair them often founding that conversation was easy and flowing between them.

Sure, they flirted and there was lingering glances, but nothing big had happened since the kiss. She looked at the clock and breathed out, her mom had already phoned and said Dixon was helping his grandpa fix something. This would be the first time that it was just her and Daryl on their own, one on one and she really didn’t know what to expect.

Jo was pulling out a drink for each of them when she heard the door open. Smiling to herself, she went to greet him. “Hey.” Jo handed him his drink. “Seemed like the guys were being dicks… Figured you’d like a cold one.”

He took the bottle and smiled, but it didn’t quite reach his eyes. He took a pull on the beer and sighed. Jo looked at him.

“You ok?” He looked at her for a second and nodded his head.

“I’m fine….Thanks for this.” He gestured to the bottle of beer in his hand and walked past her into the sitting room, settling down on the sofa and sighing. Jo felt anxieties float to the surface and suddenly felt emotional, it wasn’t the warm welcome she’d been expecting.

Licking her lips, she moved to stand in the doorway. “Uh, did you still want to make dinner?” Jo asked, nervously. “You seem to want to be alone.”

Daryl put his beer on the table and dragged his hand across his mouth. The room is silent, his shoulders hunched, he stands.

“I need a shower.”

She nods. “Kay. Well, I’ll just go out or something.” Jo sighs. “I’ll come back later. I can tell you want space.” It hurt to say, but maybe she misread things?

Daryl sighed and pulled his hand over his face “What? Now _you’re_ getting up my ass too? Is it not enough that I get it all day?! Now I gotta come home and put up with it from you, too?”

Jo felt as though she has been slapped across the face by his words. “What? I stuck up for you today. I could see Chase was being total _dick_.”

Daryl crosses the room, his finger pointing in her face, his voice raised. “Yeah, and I got shit for it all day…I didn’t _ask_ for your help, so I don’t need it. I can look after mahself!”

She glared at him. “I thought you’d like me putting him in his place! Or did you _want_ me to let him treat you like shit and eye fuck me?!” She yelled back.

“How would you know? We had one night- years ago! You don’t know me well.”

Jo clenched her jaw, fighting back tears. “Then _get out._ ” Her voice was low. “No one is forcing you to stay with some one night stand that you knocked up.” Jo snapped. “Go on if you would prefer to.” Her fists were clenched at her side. “Guess I _am_ just some dumb blonde.”

Daryl recoiled at her words, his eyes ablaze with anger. He takes a step towards her.

“You know _nothin_ ’ about me…I’m gone!” He grabs his jacket and storms out slamming the door. Jo trying to the gold the tears back that inevitably come and bring her to her knees.

* * *

She had no idea how long she sat there and cried before forcing herself up. After splashing cold water on her face, she decided to look for him. Jo would look at every bar she came across. She had no way of knowing if he was even in the same town anymore, she pulled her car into the last one, and looked into the rear view mirror, thankful to see her eyes didn’t look as red and swollen anymore.

She wasn’t sure what state she’d find him in, or if she’d find him at all, but she wasn’t about to give him the satisfaction of seeing that she’d shed tears over him. She’d already done that enough in the past. She pulled herself from the car and walked over to the main door of the bar, her shoes crunching on the gravel, the sound of the duke box inside mixing with drone of voices and laughter of its patrons.

Taking a deep breath, she walked in and looked around. Daryl was sitting at the bar, chatting with some random woman. She felt the jealousy rise in her chest.

She walked over to where he was and glared at her. “Back. Off.” Jo ground out at her.

“Sorry, sweetie, I’m _pretty_ sure I’m going home with him tonight.” She shot back.

Was he thinking of sleeping with this woman? Jo’s eyes shot to Daryl, wondering if she should have just let him go. Maybe life with her and Dixon wasn’t what he wanted.

“Could you excuse us?” She asked Jo. “We were having a ‘ _private_ ’ conversation.”

Her heart clenched. “Bye, Daryl.” She barely managed before pushing back through everyone. As soon as she was outside, she rushed to her car. The tears burned her eyes as she started her engine.

* * *

Jo wasn’t sure how she made it home, tears blurring her vision on the drive home. She sat on the sofa, her mind whirring at a thousand miles an hour as she thought of every possible outcome. Was Daryl happy here? He’d seemed to be. She rested her head in her hands and tried to steady her breathing. This ache in her chest like an old familiar friend coming back after so long.

Her head snapped up when she heard the bike, within moments Daryl stepping into the house and walking into the sitting room. Jo raised her head up, chin jutted out in defiance, hoping her voice would stay strong and not betray her. “You come to get your things?”

Daryl sighed and sat down next to her, his hand rubbing at the scruff on his chin. His blue eyes morose, his posture fatigued. “I don’t wanna fight!”

Jo feels heat rise through her body as the image of the woman from the bar flashes through her mind. “No you just want to pick up women at bars!” She crosses her arms across her chest, letting the accusation hang heavily in the air.

He looked at her sadly. “If I wanted her, would I _be_ here?”

Jo shrugged. “How would I know?” She asked. She wasn’t trying to pick a fight, but he told her she knew nothing about him. Pulling her knees to her chest, she hoped that this wasn’t a more permanent goodbye.

“Well, I’m _here_ ain’t I?” They sat in silence for a moment, a crackling of tension in the air. Daryl sighed and rubbed his hand over his face. “Merle was right about me….I _am_ a screw up.” Jo glances at him and feels her heart drop, he looks so dejected.

Jo moves over and wrapped her arms around him. “You are not.” She told him. “You’re an excellent dad.” Her hand rubbed up and down his back. “I’m the one who messed up. Go take your shower, relax, and I’ll make dinner. Then I can give you some space. I’m sorry I made things worse at work.” Jo kissed his cheek and moved to get up. Her fingers ran through his hair on the way by.

Daryl’s hand grabbed her by the wrist, Jo’s breath catching in her throat as her eyes met his. He stands up and looks into her face, one hand coming up and brushing the hair over her shoulder.

“I’m the one that should be sorry…I ain’t good with sayin’ how I feel…Sorry.”

Her hands came to rest on his waist. Her forehead moved to rest on his chest, her heart feeling like it would jump out of her chest at any moment. Jo took a deep breath, her hands gripping his shirt, and looked up at him. “Than show me.”

And that was all it took, that’s all he needed. He cupped her chin and pressed his lips against hers, Jo’s eyes fluttering shut as she breathed in the smell of him. His tongue pushing into her mouth, exploring her, tasting her. Jo’s hands trailed up and snaked around his neck, as Daryl pulled her closer. No room between them, the kiss became more heated, more desperate as hands gripped tighter and moans emitted from them both.

They stayed like that for some time. Neither of them willing to move from the other. Daryl buried his face in her neck, his arms around her waist. He could feel her heartbeat, could smell her shampoo, and she took over his senses. Pulling away to look at her, he licked his lips. “I want nothin’ more than to feel your skin against mine again, but would you let me take you on a date?” His voice was quiet, afraid of her saying no. “I wanna do this right this time.”

Jo smiled. “You go shower. I wanna show you something. I’ll pack a picnic.” There was a field about twenty minutes outside of town that she loved. She went there a lot to think when she was pregnant, because it reminded her of Daryl. No one knew about her little getaway. He would be the first, and Jo hoped that it helped his mood some. Maybe he would see that he meant a lot to her. He had been honest with her at the park, it was her turn to open up.


End file.
